This invention relates generally to digital cameras and particularly to the calibration of such cameras to account for different ambient light conditions.
The human eye has an amazing ability to accommodate for different light conditions. The eye is capable of correctly detecting color in a variety of different ambient conditions.
Analog and digital cameras generally record colors differently under different light conditions. The same color may look different in pictures taken under fluorescent lighting, tungsten lighting or outdoor light.
Digital cameras may include charge coupled device (CCD) sensors or complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensors. In either case it would be desirable to make color corrections to the captured image based on the current ambient light conditions. However, generally only estimated corrections are possible with existing digital cameras.
Thus, there is a continuing need for techniques for enabling digital cameras to make the type of color corrections made by the human eye.